We learned last year that many of the effects of climate change are irreversible. Sea levels have been rising at a greater rate year after year, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates they could rise by another meter or more by the end of this century.

"It's difficult to comprehend the ridiculous amounts of water that have fallen in such a short time in a state that, until recently, had been in the grip of a historic drought. But one place to start would be to look at reservoir levels in the state. In the past 30 days, Texas reservoirs have gone from being 73 percent full to 82 percent full, according to data maintained by the Texas Water Development board. All told, about 8 million acre-feet of water have flowed into the state's reservoirs."

Seth Dixon's insight:

Just how much of water is 8 million acre-feet? It's almost impossible for most people to visualize that, but this series of graphics is designed to put the scale of the recent flooding in Texas into perspective (and yes, I love that Rhode Island is almost a unit of measurement).

The U.S. Department of Defense’s latest assessment of the Chinese military provided new detail on China’s land reclamation efforts on several of the islets that it occupies in the South China Sea. These include Fiery Cross Reef, Gaven Reef, Johnson South Reef, Mischief Reef, and Subi Reef in the Spratly archipelago. By December 2014, the report estimated that China had reclaimed as much as 500 acres of new land, creating full-fledged islands where only coral reefs or sand spits existed before. Since then, China has only accelerated its efforts, expanding the total land area that it has reclaimed to 2,000 acres and building military facilities, ports, and at least one airstrip on the islands.

Seth Dixon's insight:

We've heard in the news recently that China is reclaiming land from the South China see to presumably construct an air strip to strengthen their claims in the region. China is not alone in this...

By doing so, China is not only digging land, but also preparing futur heavy discord. It's so strange : China critisize US hegemony and try to balance it. As result, China is having the same agressive attitude that US Bush era. Of course, not using bombs, but "pacifically" invading south China Sea.

The more we slap concrete down all over the state, the more we trigger devestating consequences, like the million-dollar flooding in Cranston last September.

Seth Dixon's insight:

We often ignore the environmental impact of the cities we build. When we build a road, building or sidewalk, we usually cover the ecosystem's natural mechanisms for absorbing rainfall with impervious surfaces. This award-winning environmental article in RI Monthly was written by a geography professor with an eye on the human and environmental interactions between community land use choices and watershed quality. The RI governor announced for Earth Day that it will be investing funds to tackle the storm water pollution problem.

You might not be feeling the effects of climate change, but Kiribati, a small country in the Pacific, is actually drowning because of rising sea levels. Check out how the government there is trying to run a country that might not exist in a few years.

Seth Dixon's insight:

The impacts of climate change might feel far off or something that will affect other places...not so for the citizens of Kiribati. This video is the 1 minute version of the political/environmental situation, and this is the 15 minute version.

Climate Change is an issue that affects some parts of the world greater than others. The island nation of Kiribati is greatly impacted by the effects of the warming climate due to the fact that it is barely above sea level. In fact, as we learned in class, the country is facing a "when not if" situation regarding having to leave their nation. The government says it is to relocate with dignity rather than be unskilled refugees when they arrive in countries. The president of the country, even though it is to late to stop the ocean from flooding his country, is still highly invested in preventing more land being lost from the effects of a rising sea level associated with global warming. However, until nations such as India and China, as well as the United States try whole hardheartedly to prevent it and cut down on their emissions the trend will continue. I can't imagine how hard it is to run a country that is in essence preparing for its own demise. In fact, until taking this class, I was unaware of many of the small countries that existed in the Pacific Ocean.

This is a scary thought to lose your home and country. I'm not sure the rest of the world will care unfortunately because this country does not produce something needed globally. Is it possible to create a Waterworld of sorts (Kevin Kostner movie) or Esgaroth (The Hobbit- Lake town). I know these are movie fantasy, but maybe they could create something like this. Or find a backer to drop lots of sand on the island periphery to build it back up like Abu Dhabi's The World. This would bring tourism I believe. This would bring money, which would then sustain the Kiribati. They need to get a highly visible celebrity involved.

This phenomenon is unfortunate. Kiribati's existence is being threatened by global warming and the effect it has on rising sea levels. Kiribati could be fully covered by water within a few decades. The positive about this situation, however, is that its' government is being proactive and training the citizens in a multitude of different trades, so that they could be marketable elsewhere if they are forced to flee their homeland.

California has enough water—that's not the problem, says Terry Tamminen. So here's how you solve the drought crisis.

Seth Dixon's insight:

There is no easy fix to a complex problem such as the water shortage in California. Some coastal cities are considering desalinization projects while others want to reduce environmental regulations that protect wetland ecosystems to harness all of the freshwater available. One of the issues is that most of California's precipitation occurs during a very short time frame. Before the water crisis, these potential flood waters were diverted into concrete management canals but this article advocates to build more underground cisternsto capture excess rainfall before it flows to the ocean.

The sunny state of California does in fact get enough rain fall each year but because storm sewers were built after continuous flooding, all of this rainfall is pushed into the Pacific Ocean rather than where it it needed now.

A solution to the insane drought taking California by storm is to use simple rain barrels to collect water at a typical home and a graded lawn to capture and retain water, allowing it to seep into the ground rather than run off into the streets and eventually into the ocean.

The article relates to irrigation and the conservation efforts discussed in Unit 5. Irrigation has a lot to do with the drought in California because massive amounts of water are being used for agriculture in California, which consists of water-needy fruits and vegetables. There are efforts to try to conserve water by installing rainwater collectors to reuse water instead of just draining usable rainwater to the ocean and rivers. There have also been installations of grey water pipes to reuse for irrigation. Grey water is any water that is flushed down the drain that isn't sewage, such as water from showers or water from washing machines. This way water wouldn't have to be wasted and can be reused.

"The Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010 is the largest accidental marine spill in U.S. history: these are the pivotal discoveries scientists and environmentalists have learned from researching it. While researching the spill, scientists tracked deep-sea sharks, found new mud dragons, and discovered a new type of ocean current."

This is always amazing to me when countries create these islands in the middle of the sea. I remember when Dubai was doing this a few years back thinking that something like this was crazy and would never keep up. China is smart by doing this because it feels it can control the S. China Sea if they have areas set up all over it. I can see why surrounding countries that share the Sea's borders are pissed off at China because they should not have more right's to the Sea than any of them. But what are/can they do about it? If you mess with China, you are asking for trouble.

My research paper is on China and I'm adding topical China stories to it. This is just another example in an endless procession of questionable land grabs by the Chinese. They should not be allowed to play poker, they are really bad at hiding what they really want. China wants to add land for a simple reason; extending their military reach so they can dominate the region. It pushes out their boundaries to enable them to strike their enemies with relative ease. Missiles that fly 400 miles, planes that need refueling after 300 miles are now strategically placed on these islands to form a sphere of commanding influence in Asia and beyond. If they were to use it to extend their fishing rights to feed their burgeoning population that would be almost diplomatic. China bears watching....

China has the wealth and power to unfortunately , do these things. This is a concern to the US, but what can they do. Vietnam may be upset as well as other countries, but China is the big dog in the South Sea.

China is a powerful country with a population of 1.357 billion people. China as a regional hegemony, the more land means expansion of territorial control on the region and projecting sea power on international waters. However the main reason why China, the Philippines, and other countries are trying to claim these islands is due to the oil and natural gas exploitation in the South China Sea. Even when geopolitical conflicts between Philippines and other countries arise, any of these countries will have to form powerful armies in order to fight against China. The U.S. would be the only country that could pursue different strategies and mediate agreements between China’s neighbors. However, through military intimidation, China would overpower any country that tried to claim these islands as part of their territory.

China has its hopes on securing the land that is rich in oil to bring prosperity to the country. China is building a great wall of sand and seems as though they are not fearful of others stopping it even though China has been warned that these actions create tension from Taiwan, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

A punishing drought is forcing a reconsideration of whether the aspiration of untrammeled growth that has for so long been the state’s engine has run against the limits of nature.

Seth Dixon's insight:

Major urban areas in California have limited local water resources so they draw water from large area to bring in sufficient water for these burgeoning metropolitan regions. With this current drought getting worse, California has ordered emergency water restrictions on residents while companies and large farms have been granted exemptions even though they account for 82% of the state's annual water consumption (residential accounts for 12%). Almond farms alone consume 10% of the state's water, and many agricultural crops are incredibly water intensive land uses. A better way to think of it isn't just about raw water usage though. A better question to ask would be this--how does one gallon of water translate into calories that most efficiently feed people?

Questions to Ponder: How does the concept of carrying capacity relate to California urban growth/drought issues? California passed its carrying capacity? How are demographics, economics, politics and the environment intertwined in California? What are the environmental limits on urban growth and development?

What if all the ice melted in the world? Now whether you believe global warming happens because of human activities or naturally is another debate. The questions “How would the world look if ALL the ice melted?” How much would the sea rise by? What would be the average temperature on Earth? are of interest to everyone.

Trust National Geographic not only to capture such questions in the best manner possible but also to visualize it in such geoawesome manner! Here’s the super interesting map by National Geographic “IF ALL THE ICE MELTED“!

Climate change is all about the "Pendulum Effect," where the extremes is what matters, not so much the median or average. The average may fluctuate some, but the real problem comes when the weather goes haywire. Too much water can be as destructive as too little water, and this doesn't only happen in time but in space as well, where regions get too much of one and too little of the other. We'll see strips of drought and strips of wetness, strips of cold and strips of heat, like bands across regions and across the planet. If he ice melts, the sea and fresh water strips in the ocean will keep the fresh water atop and it'll probably freeze in great bands in winter and provoke an extreme albedo effect cooling down the planet radically followed immediately by a potential mini ice age.

The scale of China's land reclamation in the South China Sea is leading to "serious questions" on its intentions, a top US official says.

China is building artificial land by pumping sand on to live coral reefs - some of them submerged - and paving over them with concrete. China has now created over 4sq/km (1.5 sq miles) of artificial landmass. China is creating a great wall of sand with dredges and bulldozers over the course of months.

In addition to the original BBC article, here is another article from the Telegraph with some aerial imagery showing the extent of this geo-engineering project. This has plenty of geopolitical implications and the United States government is on record saying that it is "concerned."

Pumping in sand to cover coral reef and create more land is a very inventive way to make new territory, using concrete and placing bulldozers and other machinery is helping China gain more land and gain more access in the South China Sea yet this who pumping is making people question and causing places such as the Philippines to file complaints saying they will not be associated with the whole plan that China has. Why is China exactly pumping sand and spreading concrete over the live coral reefs? Does China know they are killing live animals and plants underneath the sea?

While looking into the matter I found that China believed the whole act of reclaiming land to be "entirely within China's sovereignty and are totally justifiable". Now people all over the world are focused on land and power, not about other social matters. This land pumping is not only causing conflict but it is creating more opportunity to better work and living conditions.

China is a large and powerful nation that is not afraid of flexing military muscle to its smaller neighbors. The developments of China building artificial land to strengthen its claim in the region shows how determined the country is to have its claims honored. It also shows that China will stop at nothing to have regions were resources could be to aid in the countries economic growth. However, China is causing a great deal of controversy through its actions. Also, China's neighbors are becoming increasingly frustrated with the large nation, yet they are all much smaller nations that really can't prevent the Chinese from doing what they want, especially with China declaring it won't listen to what the UN has to say. China is a country that is not afraid of strongman politics to get what it wants.

The historic abbey of Mont Saint-Michel became an island on March 21 after a rare “supertide” flooded a causeway.

Seth Dixon's insight:

Coastal physical geography produces some beautiful landforms such as tombolos. A tombolo is created when sand deposits attach an island to a larger piece of land--think of it as special type of isthmus. Mont St. Michel (picture above) is the world’s most famous example because of the iconic walled city with crowned with a striking medieval abbey. As the tides fluctuated, the city and abbey were alternately connected or disconnected from the mainland. However, a ‘super-tide’ that occurs once every 18.6 years wiped out the artificial causeway stranding motorists on France's most visited tourist destination (I wouldn't mind be stranded there right about now).

Three African leaders sign an initial deal to end a long-running dispute over the sharing of Nile waters and the building of Africa's biggest hydroelectric dam.

Seth Dixon's insight:

85% of the Nile's water comes from the Blue Nile that originates in the Ethiopian highlands--it is the Blue Nile that Ethiopia has been working on damming since 2011. The Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) will be located near the border with Sudan (see in Google Maps). Prior to this trilateral agreement, Egypt and Sudan received the majority of the Nile's waters because of outdated colonial-era treaties that ignored upstream riparian states. This explains why in the past, Egypt was so adamantly opposed to Ethiopia's plan fearing that their water supply with be threatened. Today though, the Egyptian President said, "We have chosen cooperation, and to trust one another for the sake of development."

This was an interesting read because I was not too familiar with this dispute. Three leaders have officially signed a deal to end a long dispute over sharing the Nile waters and beginning to build Africa's largest hydroelectric dam in Ethiopia. The three leaders are from Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt and signed the agreement in Sudan's capital city. Many feared that previous Dam's would worsen the water supply but this new Dam will give a more fairer share for everyone. These leaders assured that this new Dam will not cause any harm to the downstream countries but this project is still a ooncern for Egypt. The nile is the only source of water for some. Ethiopia has stated the the river will be diverted a little but will still follow it's natural course. Ethiopia is being backed up by many other countries as well.

The key of this article is that there has been an initial treaty signed. This agreement overturns a colonial era treaty which stated any countries upstream (south of Egypt) essentially had no right to touch the Nile in any way that would effect Egypt. They had veto power over everything.

The reason behind this is that Ethiopia had overthrown there colonial power-Italy, in the 1890's-and was henceforth its own country. Another attempt to seize Ethiopia took place in the 1930's under Benito Mussolini's rule. Him being a fascist and wanting to be like Hitler and take everything certainly contributed to Mussolini wanting to take Ethiopia. Another contributing factor is the fact that Italy tried and failed in claiming/colonizing Ethiopia. They had lost in the battle field. Mussolini wanted to improve and prove Eastern Italian Africa's dominance. Ethiopia would be freed of Italy's rule during WWII and become its own country once again. In any case the article states the treaty designed by the British was set forth in 1929. Ethiopia was not part of British Africa, or a protectorate (in regards to what Egypt would become in relation to the UK), so Britain would not care about the Nile in Ethiopia, rather the Nile in Sudan and especially in Egypt. Any country upstream is to not obstruct or deter the natural flow of the Nile-a pivotal source for Egyptian civilization. 90 percent of Egyptians live within 20km of the Nile while a little over 50 percent live within 1km. It is clear Egypt needs the Nile in order to function.

Ethiopia is able to create jobs through the building of the dam and will also be able to employ people through dam maintenance, inspections, etc... for years to come (if the dam is built). The dam will also provide an immense amount of power/energy, truly benefiting the country. The article states Ethiopia just wants to take a more fair share of the Nile. Everybody feels entitled to the Nile. This concept I understand. With that being said I also understand the concept of Egypt being concerned. There country functions though the Nile and its existing.

I would like to see more of Ethiopia's plans and the statistics they've gathered throughout the duration of this project. I'm sure they have comprised some projected statistics, not just focusing on the positive aspects (for them) but also the negative aspects for Sudan and Egypt. The article states Sudan is on board but Egypt-although taking part in the new agreement thus putting aside the colonial era treaty- is very hesitant when discussing the existence of the dam. Obviously there are fair reasons for the concern...but then again exactly what are the reasons? How would the Nile be affected by the dam and also how would countries downstream (Egypt, Sudan) be affected?

Its a concern amongst African countries but is it also a concern amongst the world? Will professionals from other countries "put their two cents in?"

With all this being said, I suppose it does not matter...to Ethiopia. They have already begun the process of building and are about 30% completed. As stated in this bbc article: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26679225 Another interesting factor is how other sub Saharan countries are in favor of the dam. Why? Being in favor means they probably benefit from the dam as well, however this is something that may come to my light at the dam progresses. Until the dams construction is arrested, the dam is certainly being built. Ethiopia is making ground, excuse me energy, to better its country as a whole.

This article discusses the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the construction of a dam that would provide Ethiopia with a larger share of the Nile's water. Egypt is wholly opposed to this dam because it would mean less water for the country, which so desperately needs it. With 95% of the population of Egypt living within 20km of the Nile River, a reduction in the amount of water supplied to these tens of millions could potentially spell slow disaster. At the same time, however, Ethiopia desperately needs water from the Nile in order to provide sustainable energy for its citizens.

The Nile has been a source of life and energy for thousands of years in an oppressively hot, dry place. The ancient Egyptians counted on the Nile to flood every year so that they would have arable land and used the large river to irrigate their farmland. It is almost ironic, therefore, that Egyptians are once again counting on the water of the Nile to help them survive in such a harsh climate. It seems that the Nile is one of those natural geographic features that is pivotal to political, economic, and social wellbeing. It represents the nexus between natural landforms and the political and economic goals of human beings and nations. Dispute over use of the Nile as a natural and life-giving resource is not the first instance of human debate over possession or use of natural geography and it likely won't be the last.

"Pristine Seas is an exploration, research, and media project to find, survey, and help protect the last wild places in the ocean. These pristine places are unknown by all but long-distance fishing fleets, which have started to encroach on them. It is essential that we let the world know that these places exist, that they are threatened, and that they deserve to be protected. Learn more about Pristine Seas here: http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/explore/pristine-seas/ "

Seth Dixon's insight:

I was enchanted hearing Enriq Sala discuss his passion for ocean biodiversity and purity. This passion, combined with scientific exploration and political advocacy is the backbone of a National Geographic's Pristine Seas project. Here is one news story about the Seychelles, and how they are trying to manage their fishing industries to promote sustainability and hopefully the Pristine Seas project will lead to greater awareness of the need for ocean conservation.

Fishing and Urban Development have detrimentally destroyed our oceans, and we have polluted the seas at such a high level. Urban growth and over fishing have caused our oceans to be polluted, and we are killing the diversity in Earth's waters. It is essential that we preserve marine life and stop polluting the ocean and the creatures that inhabit it.

Many of our first experiments of creating landforms and designing a new world started in the sandbox (you can only image what I do at the beach). This video shows how that early childhood activity can make for an excellent classroom demonstration to shows how Earth's physical systems work. If you don't happen to have a digital topographic map to superimpose on the sandbox and a GPU-based water simulation, then at least you've got this video. Click here to learn more about this UC Davis project on the visualization of lake ecosystems.

This thing is sick! I would love to make one of these i would play with this thing for hours and I'm an adult. And they say video games are useless, the kinect can be used for things other than dance offs and such.

"Though uninhabited and full of melting ice caps, the Arctic is surprisingly an appealing piece of real estate. Many countries have already claimed parts of the region. So who technically owns the North Pole? And why do these nations want it so bad?"

Seth Dixon's insight:

Denmark is now being more assertive in their claims. Why is this happening now? As climate change threatens polar ice caps, some see the receding ice as an economic and political opportunity. Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland) and the U.S. are all seeking to expand their maritime claims in the Arctic. When trapped under ice, extracting resources is cost prohibitive, but the melting sea ice will make the Arctic's resources all the more valuable (including the expanded shipping lanes). Even a global disaster like climate change can make countries behave like jackals, ready to feast on a dead carcass. For more, read this National Geographic blogpost.

The video discusses a big topic in discussion today - Who really owns the North Pole? Although the North Pole is uninhabited, many countries have claimed to take ownership of the vast majority of land (or, ice). Canada has already claimed that the North Pole is part of its nation. Russia has put up Russian flags on the North Pole (such as underwater) but does that really make North Pole a Russian territory? The media plays a role in this by offering different opinions on who should and who deserves the right to own the North Pole. You might read a Canadian article that lists all the outright reasons why the North Pole is or deserves to be a Canadian territory.

In my opinion, I don't understand how the United nations can be seen as an entity that, essentially, controls who would have rights to a place like the North Pole(technically, not owned by anyone). I, naively, understand the basics of the U.N. In short, it is an organization that was formed, post-WW I or II, as a governing board for world-issues.

With that being said, how can they believe that their "law" is the all-powerful one? If I'm a leader of a country who is not a member of the U.N., do I really care what they say? I just find it odd that this narrator speaks about the issue while holding the U.N. as a supreme authority. I know that this video is just a quick fun type of video but it leaves me with wanting to hear the perspective of a non-U.N. member. But a very interesting topic, none the less.

"The Sahel’s ability to produce food is not keeping pace with its growing population, and global warming will only exacerbate the imbalance, according to a new study. Among the 22 countries making up the arid region in northern Africa, the population grew to 471 million in 2010 from 367 million in 2000, a jump of nearly 30%. As the population grew rapidly, the production of crops remained essentially unchanged. Using satellite images to calculate annual crop production in the conflict-ridden Sahel belt, south of the Sahara desert, the researchers then compared output with population growth and food and fuel consumption."

Several factors are posing a threat to life in the Sahel. The growing population is outpacing their food sources, and political instability and environmental change are adding to the tension. This region is home to not only the poorest nations but to some of the fastest growing populations in the world. While the situation in the region is certainly a problem, it shows that it will likely only get worse over time as the population continues to grow and food gets more scarce.

With the world population growing at a rapid rate, what will the food supply of some of these under developed countries look like when the expected population rate to hit 1 billion by 2050? In the Sahel, how are people going to use a desert like environment to produce crops that will feed its growing population? Its seems as if their problem is growing a rate faster than they can resolve.Will food plants be the new thing in their future?

The Sahel region separates the North Africa Sahara and South African regions. The Sahel is ravaged by conflict and will soon face food shortages with it growing population. From 2000 to 2010 the population increased 30%. The rate of food production in the Sahel is below their population production and mixed in with global warming there will be problems. Global warming will lead to a reduced harvest with higher air pressure. Conflict is all over the Sahel in Sudan, Libya, Chad and Niger. Violence is likely to also grow as food supplies shrink. To go along with food shortages, this region hold some of the world’s fastest growing populations. Niger is the world’s poorest country and also has the highest birthrate, followed by Mali.

"Workers at an ailing paper mill in Siberia are clinging to their jobs in the face of financial pressure and criticism from environmentalists.Related Article: http://nyti.ms/gSvOkM"

Seth Dixon's insight:

The environment, industry and politics play key roles in this story of an old style Soviet mono-town on Lake Baikal. Monotowns had planned economies that revolved around one industry and today many of these are struggling in the post-Soviet era. While the particulars of the political situation are a bit dated, the overall issue is still quite relevant to understanding Russia today.

The Troubles Heading Siberia in this video, all relate to environmental and political issues. Economically the people from Siberia are struggling with the low pay, but have to string on to their jobs to survive , its a tough situation trying to feed your family, but have your only job shutting down and reopening with low pay, with criticism from environmentalists its very difficult.

There are many things that the Soviet Union did wrong when they took power. One of them was ignoring geography when they planned cities and factories. The paper mill highlighted in this video was poorly placed and is now causing serious problems for the environment. This paper mill has nowhere safe to dispose of its toxic waste and is economically insoluble. Causing health issues and environmental damage, this factory should be closed. However, this factory is the only thing keeping this mill town alive. If the factory were to close, there would be a scene similar to Flint, Michigan when General Motors packed up and left the country, leaving the town crushed and desperate for money. Russia has decided to ignore the environmental damage the factory is doing in hopes that a better, more sustainable solution can be found. Balancing money, human rights, and the environment was never one of Russia's strengths. It looks like it never will be.

A horrible situation in Russia no matter which side you're on. These people are trying to survive, and this factory and it's owners are making that difficult. However, we need to be aware of environmental impacts, and it seems like these people aren't. One woman said that they are doing no harm but you can clearly see in this video the harm being done. One of the most obvious examples is where they dump solid wastes. They are destroying ecosystems and putting toxins into this environments. It's our job to preserve the life in this world, not destroy it. There are absolutely ways to be more Green while still keeping this factory open, but those are costs I'm sure none of the officials or owners are willing to spare.

A new analysis of sea levels and flood risk around the world offers more evidence that the brunt of climate change will not be borne equally.

More than a quarter of Vietnam’s residents live in areas likely to be subject to regular floods by the end of the century. Globally, eight of the 10 large countries most at risk are in Asia. These figures are the result of a new analysis of sea levels and flood risk around the world, conducted by Climate Central and based on more detailed sea-level data than has previously been available. The analysis offers more evidence that the countries emitting the most carbon aren’t necessarily the ones that will bear the brunt of climate change.

In this article the author discusses the risk of flooding in many different locations of the world. He claims about 2.6 percent of the world's populations. That's a big percentage considering all the people of the planet.

Flooding is a major risk when it comes to the world we live in especially for Southeast Asia, some areas will be below sea level which shows how the the climate changes are affecting the flood risks caused by global carbon emission. A study from this article shows that eight our of ten of the largest countries will be at the risk of being flooded and below sea level. The major question is how can this carbon emissions be lower? If the carbon is lower then the sea level will rise and less countries will be at risk, this is mainly focusing on Southeast Asia. Yes, we can not change the climate changes but by keeping the land clean and taking care of the environment the flood risk and sea level change could get out of risk level.

If the weather continues at the rate it is at then about 2.6 percent of the global population which is approximately 177 million people will be living in a place at risk of regular flooding. Flooding can cause a lot of damage to homes, crops and people physically because flooding is not just a little amount of water.

The largest country at risk with people in danger from the map is China, I liked the way this map worked because you can see from the boxes how many people are going to be affected by the flooding. Instead of just having numbers, giving a better visual for people with the boxes and their sizes.

It's like watching the land on Earth change right in front of our eyes. According to this map, if global carbon emissions stay as they currently are and sea levels can be affected about as much as expected, 2.6 million people of the global population will live in a high risk flood zone; this wipes out 177 million people!

Maps and charts updated weekly show the latest extent of the drought in the United States.

Seth Dixon's insight:

I've shared numerous links here about the drought situation in California over the past few months, but the situation extends far beyond California as these animated maps and charts demonstrate. Some of the best public data on drought can be found at theNational Drought Mitigation Center.

over the past decade the drought has gotten ever so more drastic. most of the drought is in the central parts and the west coast of america .I assume that as the years progress the conditions for these parts of america will only progress to worsen.

Canada has dispatched two icebreakers to map the Arctic seabed beneath the North Pole to support a bid to extend the country's maritime territory deeper into the waterways at the top of the world.

Seth Dixon's insight:

Canada, Russia and Denmark (Greenland) are all seeking to expand their maritime claims in the Arctic. Globally speaking, the retreat of Arctic sea ice can be seen as a unmitigated disaster, but disasters for the many can open up new economic opportunities for the few. When trapped under ice, extracting resources is cost prohibitive, but the melting sea ice will make the Arctic's resources all the more valuable (including the expanded shipping lanes). This fits in with the APHG new course outline which includes political ecology (the study of the political and economic principles controlling the relations of human beings to one another and to the environment).

Canada and Russia have at least one way they will benefit from a warming climate and both are eager to see that they take advantage of it. Using remote sensing is a way to identify and formalize where is their legitimate claim to territory and resources. What problems might arise with the retreat of the arctic ice?

"Sovereignty over land defines nation states since 1648. In contrast, sovereign right over the sea was formalised only in 1982. While land borders are well-known, sea borders escape the limelight."

Seth Dixon's insight:

These maritime borders mark the economic area is defined by its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), a 200-nautical mile-wide (370 km) strip of sea along the country’s national coast line. This regulation, which was installed by the ‘UN Convention on the Law of the Sea’ in 1982, grants a state special rights to exploit natural (such as oil) and marine (for instance fish) resources, including scientific research and energy production (wind-parks, for example). This interactive map of the EEZs also shows the 'donut holes,' or the seas that are no state can claim that no state can claim. Given the number of conflicts that are occurring--especially in East Asia--this map becomes a very valuable online resource for teaching political geography.

Questions to ponder: how does this series of buffer zones around the Earth's land masses impact politics, the environment and local economies? Where might the EEZs be more important to the success of a country/territory than other regions?

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